Ways
The Ways are an area outside of reality crafted by male Aes Sedai to allow Ogier to travel safely between their stedding. Origins The Ways trace their origins to the time period known as The Breaking of the World. During this era some male channelers who sought shelter from the influence of the taint placed upon saidin took refuge in Ogier stedding. ''It was hoped at the time that the nature of ''stedding to block access to the True Source would provide a repreive for channelers from the growing madness brought about by exposure to the taint. However, most channelers could not long stand being unable to touch the True Source, and they eventually left to see if the taint was gone; unfortunately, it never was. Before departing one group of male Aes Sedai who had studied Portal Stone worlds during the Age of Legends created The Ways as a gift of thanks to the Ogier. By channeling threads of earth and spirit, these men crafted an unknown number of ter'angreal, each known as a Talisman of Growing. The Ogier were instructed to plant talismans in locations outside a stedding where they would wish to grow Waygates, and activate the talismans via treesinging. The subsequent waygates provided access to a world outside of reality, which linked all waygates together in an intricate logistical system. Ogier began to grow waygates outside all stedding, thus providing safe methods to travel unaffected by the destruction of the land. As new stedding were rediscovered after the Breaking of the World, new Waygates were grown outside these stedding and connected to the existing network. After the breaking, Ogier stonemasons were sometimes called upon to provide services of construction for the new cities of men. These Ogier grew groves of trees in these locations to provide comfort from the Longing, and planted Waygates. The Ways, as they currently exist, represent a complex logistical network outside reality that link Ogier stedding, Ogier groves, and some former stedding within the Blight. Waygates A Waygate is the product of an activated Tailsman of Growing and provides access to The Ways. Each Waygate possesses two Avendesora leaves; one on the outside matched by a second on the inside. To activate a gate, one need only move a leaf on one side of a gate to a nearby access point. Doing so will cause the waygate to react like a living plant and the gate will open to reveal a shimmering mirror-like portal which will provide acess into or out of the The Ways. It possible to lock Waygates by removing an Avendesora leaf from one side and pairing it with its companion on the opposite side of the gate. Waygates are virtually indestructable and to date nothing is known to have ever harmed or destroyed a gate. The Talisman of Growing An unknown number of these artifacts were crafted by the male Aes Sedai who sheltered in the stedding during the breaking of the world. Each is a ter'angreal ''that responds to an Ogier treesinger who attempts to sing the "flower" of the Waygate, which is the only part of The Ways that exist in this world. A ''ter'angreal that appears to fit the description of a Tailsman of Growing is unknowingly re-discovered by Elayne and Aviendha. Inside the Ways The Ways are actually alive, although no one understands or remembers how this was originally achieved. Because they are grown of the One Power they do not share rules of space and time with the world outside. The pathways of the Ways are suspended platforms, bridges, and islands. Often routes span over others with no visible supports. Travellers may walk for a day in The Ways and emerge hundreds of miles from their starting location in the outside world. Paths link areas known as Islands. Each island contains a navigational marker; a large slab of stone covered in Ogier script called a Guiding. The Ways used to be well lit by a 'sun' set in cloudless skies, with food-bearing trees on the islands. There was grass on every pathway and all the paths were beautiful in the manner that Ogier loved. No evidence of these comforts now remain. The Ways also have had traps laid in it for Shadowspawn, although their effectiveness is questionable. The Corruption of the Ways Almost 2000 years had passed with The Ways being an excellent means of transportation for the Ogier. But during the War of the Hundred Years The Ways began to change. Initally Ogier noticed that the light within The Ways was growing dim. Then travellers began to disappear. Eventually the light in the ways grew so faint that the fruit-bearing trees on the islands began to die soon to be followed by all other growing things. Ogier began to fear traveling The Ways when some emerged crazed, raving about Machin Shin, the Black Wind. Eventually The Ways became utterly dark and the stone of the pathways began to pit and rot. In some places bridges and islands have collapsed completely. The exact reason for the corruption of The Ways is a mystery, though it has been theorised that The Ways were corrupted during their crafting by the male Aes Sedai who channeled threads of tainted sadin. Female channelers who attempt to use the one power within the ways will find their efforts twisted by the corruption, though they will not be tainted themselves. Machin Shin Machin Shin -- literally black wind in the Old Tongue -- is a force that hunts The Ways for anything that is alive. Machin Shin will attempt to attack and devour any creature it encounters, including shadowspawn. The exact nature of the black wind is not understood completely, through it is known that it will consume the soul of any creature unfortunate enough to be caught by it. The souless body of the victim is then subsequently mutilated and destroyed by the entity. Before encountering Machin Shin, travellers within the ways may feel a slight breeze on their skin, an abnormal event within The Ways where there should be no wind. As it approaches closer the sound of wind will increase to a roar and at its closest a victim will begin to hear the crazed voices of Machin Shin's previous victims. Travellers who are able to escape from the entity with their lives are often driven insane after hearing these sounds. The Black Wind doesn't appear to think or be sentient in any way. Use of the Ways Now Rand al'Thor cannot use a Waygate due to Fain's hatred for him imprinting on the Black Wind: every time he attempts to even open a Waygate, Machin Shin waits for him. It even once tried to force itself out of the Ways to absorb Rand in Cairhien. No human or Ogier is allowed to use the Ways anymore as it is believed to be far too dangerous. It seems that some Waygates have been absorbed by the Great Blight and that they are used to move massive amounts of troops very quickly around the world. List of Waygates There are Waygates outside of each stedding as well as the following cities and locations. *Caemlyn *Tar Valon *Two Rivers *Tear *Shienar *Malkier *The site of Artur Hawkwing's city, on the road to Caemlyn *Illian *Maradon *Ebou Dar *Mafal Dadaranell *Ancohima *Londaren Cor *Aren Mador *Aridhol *Shaemal *Deranbar *Braem *Condaris *Hai Ecorimon *Iman Category:One Power Category:Culture Category:Ogier culture